Idleb-Syria Attacks Displaces Thousands

Idleb attacks lead to mass displacement of Syrian families

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (March 31, 2015) — Thousands of children and families have been forced from their homes in the latest round of fighting in Idleb City, Syria, and many more face imminent displacement as public services have all but collapsed, Save the Children warned today.

The children’s agency staff have already documented almost 15,000 people who have fled their homes, and it is feared that thousands more could seek refuge in other parts of the country because of further attacks and destroyed infrastructure. Staff who were in Idleb City say schools and hospitals are closed and only a few shops remain open.

Children are at huge risk of injury and death as a result of the violence, and our staff have witnessed the devastating effects.

"This weekend I stood with a distraught Syrian father as his 7 year old son, struck by a missile in his home in Idleb City, was hurriedly wheeled into surgery with massive head injuries,” said Save the Children’s Syria Country Director Martha Myers. “The father, clutching a blood-soaked yellow sweatshirt, had no idea where the rest of his family was, including his 45-day-old baby. As the Save the Children Country Director, this moment was emblematic of the savage consequences of the Syrian conflict on its children, and on-going need for the work of courageous Syrian aid workers."

Children are also displaying signs of trauma following days of intense conflict, with their parents reporting sleeping problems, anxiety and bed-wetting.

Save the Children staff in the areas of Idleb Governorate where displaced families are settling have noted that most are currently living with local families, while others are making their way towards the camps on the northern border with Turkey. Families are in urgent need of clean water, blankets and mattresses, clothes and food.

Working in coordination with other agencies on the ground, Save the Children is providing vulnerable families with access to clean water, blankets, mattresses, cooking equipment and other essential items. We are also working with local communities to keep children safe from harm.

Save the Children has been providing support to children and their families in Syria for more than two years providing more than half a million children with access to education, healthcare, food, protective services and shelter.

Save the Children calls on the international community to bring all the parties to this conflict back to the negotiations table for a political solution that would end the conflict which is the only way to end the suffering for the people of Syria. We also call on the parties to the conflict to ensure that civilians, particularly children, are spared from the devastating impacts of the violence, and that civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals are not targeted or used for military purposes.

How You Can Help

You can support our emergency response and disaster relief efforts in Syria by making a contribution to our Syrian Children's Relief Fund. Please give generously.

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